There are many myths that have been going around with regards to saddlery and the use thereof. In this series of posts, I endeavour to show most of them are without foundations and can, in some cases, be the opposite of the actual facts.
Pictured left is author Kay Hastilow, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter.
Yes Really!
Many people seem to think of their horse’s requirements as separate items. Feeding. Rugging. Shoeing. Veterinary care and saddle and bridle fitting, but with our horses everything is connected – all a part of the whole horse, and all connected.
So, why might the shoeing of your horse give him a sore back? That’s a saddle problem surely?
This is NOT a post rubbishing farriers and their work – far from it, but work and research by both Dr Russell McKechnie-Guire and Jane Nixon MRCVS have thrown up some interesting facts and observations. For instance, 1 cm of growth in your horse’s feet, because of the change in foot balance is the equivalent of the rider being 40kg heavier! 40kg!! I ride at 67kg so adding an additional 40kg would make me 107kg That’s big! This causes extra stresses and strains on the rest of the horse’s body, remembering that everything being connected will impact the horse from head to toe. Also, when analysing his data Russell has also discovered that shoeing affects saddle stability, with the saddle being most stable in the first two weeks after shoeing and gradually losing stability thereafter. If your saddle is inclined to slip to one side, this will exacerbate that problem.
So often when we are assessing a horse’s saddle, we will note that on checking his back for any discomfort or injury we will find tightness from mid saddle area right through to the last lumbar vertebrae. Of course, we will check the fit of the saddle in the first place but, especially if it is a horse/ rider/ saddle combination that we know and that there have been no problems in the past, we have to look beyond the saddle.
One of my client’s horses developed navicular syndrome some years ago and kept a diary of all of the tell-tale signs that she had noted. One of the first ones, even before the horse started going a bit short in front, was that he developed a tight and sore area in his back from T15 to L6. I checked the saddle; it appeared to be perfect but to be sure we tried another saddle for a few days, and it was no better. Luckily this was a good, experienced horsewoman with an understanding of the horse and when, a couple of weeks later, he began to go a bit short in front she realised what was the likely cause of the problem. The vet confirmed this, and treatment was duly given. Happily, he recovered well enough to continue working comfortably. The thing is, who normally thinks beyond the saddle when the horse has an uncomfortable back?
Saddle fitters will, of course check for any uneven movement from the horse but amongst other things that we consider we will be his feet. Are they a good shape? Collapsed heels, over long or poor shape and size? Long, with the shoes loose? As someone that books their horse’s next shoeing with the farrier as he finishes the present shoeing – five or six weeks depending on the horse – I am always a bit surprised that horses are often presented to us for a fitting with their shoes hanging on by a thread and the feet really overgrown. Any comment from me – ‘shoes are looking a bit loose’ are regularly greeted with comments such as ‘yes, I rang him yesterday, but he can’t come for a week’ or ‘we wait until one falls off before we call the farrier.’ Now we all know that almost all shod horses (I can’t actually think of any exceptions to this rule) will need shoeing at least every five to six weeks. It’s as regular as clockwork, so why wait until the last minute to book your farrier? Late, delayed shoeing can make your horse sore in the back and make the saddle less stable. Who knew?
Understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting has the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and you can now do that online, whenever and wherever fits into your busy lifestyle.
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